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1953 Rose Bowl
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American college football game
December 2025
August 2023
1953 Rose Bowl 39th Rose Bowl Game 1952 Wisconsin Badgers University of Wisconsin-Madison USC Trojans University of Southern California 6–2–1 9–1 Ivy Williamson Jess Hill 11 10 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 January 1 Rose Bowl Pasadena, California Rudy Bukich (USC QB) USC by 7 pointshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hwAqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZQAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3174%2C5176365 Toledo Blade Ohio Knack Joe Trojans favored to snap jinx January 1, 1953 24https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ACVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6675%2C4614030 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon AP, UP wire services Trojans favored in Rose Bowl December 31, 1952 7A Jack Sprenger (Pacific Coast;split crew: Pacific Coast, Big Ten) 101,500 NBC List of announcers of major college bowl games Al Helfer
The 1953 Rose Bowl was the 39th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, January 1, at the end of the 1952 college football season. The fifth-ranked USC Trojans of the Pacific Coast Conference defeated the #11 Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference, 7–0.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ASVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6592%2C4849412 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Trojans tip Wisconsin 7-0 in Rose Bowl January 2, 1953 8Ahttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QiJPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Nk4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6698%2C269970 Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah United Press Trojan victory highlights bowl pageant January 2, 1953 A6https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mXwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l00EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6435%2C234824 Pittsburgh Press United Press Sub tailback leads USC in bowl win January 2, 1953 24
It was Wisconsin's first bowl game and the first Rose Bowl appearance for the Trojans in five years. It is also the first meeting of the two football programs.
Teams
1952 college football season
Wisconsin Badgers
1952 Wisconsin Badgers football team
thumb|UW Marching Band heading to the Rose Bowl
Wisconsin was the co-champion of the Big Ten Conference with Purdue, whom they did not play, and entered the Rose Bowl with a 6–2–1 record (4–1–1 in conference). The Badgers' non-conference loss was to UCLA, the Big Ten loss was at Ohio State, and they tied Minnesota in their season-ending rivalry game. This was the program's first bowl game appearance.
USC Trojans
1952 USC Trojans football team
The USC Trojans entered the game as the Pacific Coast Conference champions, with a 6–0 record in conference play. Their sole loss was against Notre Dame in their season-ending rivalry game.
Aftermath
This was the first win by a Pacific Coast team over a Big Ten team since the Rose Bowl began its exclusive contract to pair the champions of these two conferences in 1946 (beginning with the 1947 Rose Bowl). It was only the second time in Rose Bowl history that the PCC defeated the Big Ten, the first was 32 years earlier in January 1921, when California defeated Ohio State.
This game featured the fewest points scored in a Rose Bowl since the 0–0 tie in 1922. As of 2020, this game still stands as the second-fewest points ever scored in a Rose Bowl, and the fewest scored since the Rose Bowl started pairing the Big Ten and West (PCC/AAWU) champions for the game. The next time these two teams met in a Rose Bowl (1963), they combined to break the record for the most points ever scored in the game.
USC quarterback Rudy Bukich was named the Player of the Game. Future Heisman Trophy winner, Wisconsin running back/linebacker Alan Ameche, finished the game with 133 rushing yards on 28 carries. Bukich and Ameche have subsequently been inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
References
External links
Badgers Defeated by USC 7–0 in Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl
Category:Rose Bowl Game
Category:20th century in Pasadena, California
Category:USC Trojans football bowl games
Category:Wisconsin Badgers football bowl games
Category:January 1953 sports events in the United States
Category:1953 in sports in California